Fire escape ladder



March 8, 3932. E. BOCCHINO 1,848,557

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed April 18, 1928 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES ERNEST BOCCHINO, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Application filed April 18,

This invention relates to fire escape balconies and more particularly to the ladders or steps used in obtaining exit or access thereto.

Such balconies are secured to the walls of buildings, in front of one or more of the windows therein, in such manner as to permit persons subjected to fire hazards to escape by passing outward through the window, upon the platform of the balcony and thence downward, by means of ladders, extending from one balcony to another and eventually to the ground.

It is apparent however, if such ladders are allowed to remain extended in operative pol5 sition at all times, that means are supplied by which intruders may enter through the windows to commit acts of depredation and such easy access is intolerable; it is therefore necessary to provide means whereby the ladders especially the lowermost, may be normally retained in a raised position except when required for exit.

Thus it follows that the lower ladder must be arranged to move freely and instantly upon demand, from one position to another,

with a minimum of exertion and it is also desirable that the appearance of the entire structure be pleasing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a ladder pivoted to the balcony and capable of being extended vertically or swung into a horizontal position, closely adjaeent the outer side of the balcony railing, means being provided to retain the ladder in the latter position.

A further featureis in the provision of a counterweight nearly balancing the ladder so that little exertion is required to operate it from one position to another.

Another purpose is to provide a receptacle for the counter-weight to act as a support and guard when the ladder is in its normal, folded position.

These and other important objects as will hereafter appear, are attained by the novel 1928. Serial No. 270,881.

design, construction and combination of parts, as later described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, constituting an essential portion of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a series of conventional fire escape balconies, having installed a ladder made in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Throughout the views, the numeral 10 designates in general the wall of a building to which are rigidly attached brackets 1111 supporting balconies 1212', respectively lower and upper, having stairs 13 connecting therebetween, and it will be apparent that their number will correspond with the several floors in the building served by them.

Each balcony consists of platforms 14-44 usually grids, top rails 1616, having corner posts and a plurality of upright bars therebetween, constituting a guard fence at the front and ends, this being the usual type of construction.

The ladder 18 consists of a pair of spaced stiles l9-19' having fixed rungs 20 therebetwecn, the ladder being of such length as to reach from the lower platform to the ground, as shown.

Fixed between the stiles 19 19', near the upper end of the ladder and between adjacent rungs, is a plate 21 provided with riveting vflanges 22 and having at its center a pivot 23 extending from the lower rail 14; of the platform, near one of its ends, the arrangement being such that the ladder 20, as an entity, can freely turn on the pivot 23.

In order to facilitate such turning operation, a lever 24 is shown as formed on the upper end of one of the stiles, as 19', the lever being easily accessible to a person on the platform. the fence at that point being cut away to facilitate access to the ladder.

Fixed on one of the ladder stiles, as 19, is

' rail 16 of the lower balcony. In order to guide the weight 30 ma) helreceptacle 31,

r a pair of rods 33 extend alongside its path of travel, the rods being:'engage(l by eyes 34 fixed on opposite sides oft'he wei'ght.

It will be 'understood lthatthfe length of the cable 26 and positioiiof tlre eye 25 on the ladder will be deterininedby the weight of the ladder, its length being also taken into consideration.

When the ladder 20 istswung into a horizontal position alongside the lower balcony,

' the stile 19 may be engaged with a hook 35 pivoted on the rail 16. tlierebysupporting the weight of the ladder iri'excess of the counterweight 30, the ladder-, in this position, being parallel with and close to the front of the balcony.

In operation. to release and extend the ladder for use, it is raised to clear the hook 35 and manoeuvered by the lever 24 into a vertical position, the counter-weight 30 rising as the ladder is lowered. The ladder is held steadily when in a vertical position by engagement of the stile 19 with a clip 36 carried on a spring bar 37 attached to the platform 14, but it. will be understood that other holding means may be used to prevent swaying of the ladder when in use. Reverse-' 1y. to raise the ladder, the lever 24 is operated, the counter-weight assisting to turn the ladder on its pivot and finally the riser 19 is re-engaged with th e hook 33, completing the operation.

Although the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in detail, it is understood that minor changes in construction and details thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the aymendcd claims.

Having thus described my invention, what T claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a balcony fire escape, of an escape ladder pivoted on the balcony to swing in a plane parallel therewith into vertical and horizontal positions. a counterweight for the ladder. and means for securing said ladder when in a horizontal position.

2. The combination in a balcony fire escape, of an escape ladder pivoted on the balcony to swing in a. plane parallel therewith into an operative or inoperative position, said inoperative position being closely adjacent the balcony, a handle on said ladder, a counterweight flexibly connected with said ladder, a receptacle to receive said counter-Weight when the ladder is in inoperative position, and releasable means to retain said ladder when in the last named position.

3. The combination in a balcony fire escape, of an escape ladder'pivoted on the balcony to swing in a plane parallel therewith into vertical and horizontal positions, a counterweight for the ladder, a receptacle for said weight, means to guide the weight into the receptacle, means to hold the ladder when extended vertically, and means for securing said ladder when in a horizontal position.

4. The combination with a fire escape balcony having upper and lower front rails, of a ladder pivoted to the lower rail on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the ladder to allow said ladder to swing into ahorizontal position closely adjacent the lower front portion of the balcony, a counterweight for the ladder at the front of the balcony, and a receptacle carried rigidly on the upper rail above said ladder to receive said counterweight when the ladder is in a raised position, all of said elements being outside the building.

5. The combination with a fire escape balcony having upper and lower front rails. of a ladder pivoted to the lower rail to swing edgewise into a vertical position and a horizontal position closely contiguous to the balcony at the outer front side thereof. counterbalancing means for the ladder at the front of the balcony above said ladder. alever integral with said ladder by which to turn it on its pivot, a receptacle fixed on the upper rail to receive said counterbalancing means when said ladder is in a horizontal position, and a stop on the lower rail to prevent swaying of the ladder when vertical.

6. The combination with a fire escape balcony having upper and lower front rails, of a ladder having a rigid plate near its upper end pivoted to the lower rail permitting said ladder to swing edgewise into a "ertical position and a horizontal position close to the balcony at the front thereof in which position a half width of the ladder extends below the balcony. counter-balancing means for the ladder at the front of the balcony, a flexible con nection trained over said pulley connecting said counter-balancing means to said ladder, an operating lever integral with one of the sides of the ladder and extending in alinement therewith to provide f or manual control of its movement, and a support hook to retain said ladder when in a raised position.

7. The combination with a fire escape balcony having upper and lower front rails provided with an opening at the front, of a ladder. a plate fixed onto and extending between the side rails of the ladder near its upper end, a pivotal connection between the center of said plate and the lower rail of said balcony at the mentioned opening, a flexible cable attached to a side of said ladder below the pivot to permit lateral movement, a sheave over which the cable is trained, a weight at the opposite end of said cable, and a receptacle for said weight when the ladder is in a raised position, said receptacle bein permanently fixed to said lower rail above t e plane of the ladder when in a horizontal )ositlon.

In testimony whereof I a x m signature.

ERNEST BO CHINO. 

